The Challenge for Authentic Christian Leaders: Find Ways to Help Trumped Zombie-“Believers” Rediscover Their Own Heritage

Our fight to disentangle American Christianity from white supremacy, misogyny, and the instinct to defend politicians like Trump & Roy Moore can only be won through community and fellowship that has the power to refashion angry gut feelings into embracing THE INTRINSIC WORTH OF BEAUTY!

Bannon’s/Trump’s hostile secular nihilism has won the day in the pro-billionaire, anti-middle class Republican Party. The culture of FOX News/Roy Moore/Trump has turned the GOP powerfully against authentic traditional Christian values. Evidence? Just consider the pro-billionaire, anti-working people, Jesus-denying tax bill! How did we get here? Church folks, it’s all about church! Let me explain.

Social scientists have documented our tendency to reject reliable evidence– if it challenges our core emotional beliefs. White evangelical Trump/Roy Moore supporters have turned our human tendency to wallow in the denial of reality into a science. That inner “science” has utterly corrupted authentic faith.

Self-evidently truthful testimony by molested women will NEVER deter Trumped-type evangelicals who see Trump and Moore as noble martyrs persecuted by the “liberal establishment.” That’s because these days (actually for the last few decades) what I’ll call Trumped Evangelicals’ core beliefs were more strongly formed by the Fox News/Rush Limbaugh/Breitbart cabal than by the Bible.

The challenge for authentic Christian church leaders today is to find ways to help Trumped Evangelical “believers” to rediscover their own heritage of ancient ideas about how to form our ultimate loyalty to God and his kingdom rather than to FOX News, as it were.

The way people worship has consequences; shaping our response to evil and to people different from ourselves. This is something the secular media is clueless about. They’d rather parse details about the Rust Belt, than anything theological. They miss the point of what really led to Trump: Crap worship.

Evangelical “worship” became ritual entertainment cut off from history and tradition. No wonder a reality TV flake became an evangelical favorite. He was like many pastors. And most Americans worship in congregations dominated by a single racial or ethnic group. No wonder ideas of diversity scare the hell out of Christians.

Read my book and break this closed loop of evil! Yes this is a “pitch.” But it happens to be true. I’ve spent the better part of 5 years trying to write a book that will reintroduce my readers to living lives that FEEL sacred because they are!

Yes, the pitch continues! (If I keep this up I’ll make you a: As seen on TV-money back offer!) Here goes: Are you a millennial evangelical disillusioned with your parents’ generation’s inability to deal with racism, sexism and homophobia– the issues tearing our country apart? My new book is for you! (I can hear you sigh.)

America is moving away from religion so people, especially millennials, have lost something. Their community becomes primarily virtual, they’re seeing people through a screen and not flesh and blood. I’m trying to reconnect us with a tactile hands-on relationship to reality. And ironically I’m doing this with an iBook because it lets me bring you the actual art, music, film and TV illustrations I talk about. My “Lucy” project is for atheists, evangelicals, mainline liberal Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox Christians, all seeking new spiritual community.

I’ll say it again: Our fight to disentangle American Christianity from white supremacy, misogyny, and the instinct to defend politicians like Trump & Moore can only be won through community and fellowship that has the power to refashion angry gut feelings into embracing THE INTRINSIC WORTH OF BEAUTY!

How we got here can be expressed more succinctly .. and dare I say it .. a bit more accurately minus the extreme emotions .

Blatant outright Biblical heresy and hypocrisy !

But to add a little more detail …

We got here in no small part due to the myths of American Exceptionalism along with the fairy tales surrounding the Pilgrims and Founding Fathers .

Then exacerbated by an American addiction to conspiracy theory , snake oil salesmen ( both religious* and medical ) and the lie of self reliance .

Adding since the 70’s the churches in America including the so called Evangelical as well as Fundamentalist churches choosing political power and survival ** over any semblance of Biblical Truth

With the additional factor of those very same churches now subscribing to the Gospel of Ayn Rand over and above the Bible they claim to adhere to

And here we are .

* The US has the highest percentage per capita of religious cults and abhorrent sects of any country in the world .. civilized or not

** The genuine irony is that despite their desperate measures all christian/Christian churches in America are dying off faster than Donald Trump can Tweet due almost exclusively to their hypocrisy and Biblical heresy .

Indeed this is true…
yet it does not hurt to have an insider help us to see in which way we were decieved and stripped of our own selves for the purpose of someone’s egotistical gain.
I gained much value from reading Frank’s book Crazy for God for my own self. To see the rise of the Religious Right and where they distorted religion for their own gain and by that brought many of us on that wicked journey.
You see… I was a child who grew up with a mother and grandmother in the southern baptist/Evangelical state of Georgia who was put through the darkest sermons of soul sucking evangelical dogma. I was a victim of their distorted reality indoctrinated into my head time and time again…only seeing myself as some baby making machine that was to be seen and not heard from and was meant to be abused as the bible instructs.

Through much interpersonalized work in psychoanalysis did i see the value in who i am today and it could not be any more antithetical than what is still being taught today.
I had to rediscover what is… from what is not…what was… from what did not happen.
I value Frank for helping me to see what was happening to form the evangelicalism that took my life from me. To have that very insight gives me the knowledge to see which river their dead bodies will float down and what will be needed to help to bring people back to a state of reality…if at all possible.

The deceit, racism and false testimony these ‘So called Christians’ have stood on their boxes and defiled the Word of GOD
To be raised in a family deeply ingrained as foundamental southern Baptists, it took years to understand the difference I thought to be religious abuse and my true relationship with God.
These people are brainwashed and irrational. It is because of these disillusioned evangelicals that I cannot bring the subject of God, the Holy Spirit Or any such subject up with my 30 yr old daughter. Her attitude is is ‘They are FAKE and HYPOCRITICAL ‘
They show no Kind of ‘ Love or Kindness ‘ nor any kind of rational thinking she thinks is of a God that she wants to be apart of.
It is a sad day when this is what the fanatic false believers have done.

Sigh …thanks for the personal insight …reading your story breaks my heart … and you’re right .. the what used to be the religious lunatic fringe now running the asylum ( church ) are doing more to destroy any aspects of Faith in Christianity in America quicker and more efficiently than all they claim to be their enemies combined

That is by far one of the most despicable , immature and hateful replies imaginable to mother’s genuine expression of grief over her daughter’s state of faith and mind proving once again what an abject sub-human you are … never mind anything even remotely resembling a christian ( small case ‘ c’ both intentional and apposite to Bryson’s state of being )

Frank Schaeffer is not a Christian. He hates Christians. He hates the God of Christians. So following his “advice” about how to be a Christian would be foolish. You’d be more likely to be right if you did exactly the opposite of what Schaeffer said.

Mahr is a comedian. He was doing an act. He does not believe Jesus Christ even existed, let alone said anything. Like Frank Schaeffer, Mahr has no credibility when talking about God, the Bible, or Christianity. They both would like to think they know what Christians are supposed to believe and how they are supposed to live, but they don’t. They are both arrogant, self-serving infidels who should only talk about things they understand. If they did, they would never say a word about Christianity.

Bryson … individuals such as yourself who resort to sock puppets in their propagation of lies and propaganda have less than zero credibility .

And in light of your constantly contradicting Scripture , denying the Truth of Christ by contravening every word He said etc – at al – ad nauseam ( emphasis on nauseam )… well my little sock puppet troll .. despite your use of the word infidel erroneously ( read the damn dictionary jack wagon ) …. the only hypocritical heretical infidel verging on a blatant self serving heathen and a pagan … I and the rest of the world see …

” When believers talk about believing the Bible, respecting the Bible, following the Bible, but do exactly the opposite, the resulting damage is enormous. It damages the reputation of the church. It gives skeptics and doubters reasons to disregard the Bible. It defiles the name of Christ. It would be better that we not talk about living the Bible, unless we are serious about it ”

and …

“The pretense of self-righteousness makes true righteousness impossible. It ruins us. It teaches other people to turn into hypocrites themselves and we get into a pattern where everyone buys into a system of using the “right” lingo, going through the “right” motions, quoting the “right” verses, and then living a contradiction. It may seem easier to live a “pretend” faith, but in the end, the weight of the real issues of life will cause a collapse ” Mel Lawrenz

Assuming there is even a modicum of authenticity within your being … both describe you and who you are … to a tee

Ah Yes! I have finally become enlightened and have now come to understand Christianity as per Gary Bryson…

According to the devout Christian and self-professed sexual predator Drumph. Thou shall torture and kill all infidels.

Also according to the devout Christian and self-professed sexual predator Drumph: Thou shall nuke millions of innocent North and South Koreans to rid the world of Kim Yong Un.

According to the devout Christians Mike Pence and Roy Moore: Thou shall beat, or better yet… electrocute the gay out of homosexuals so that they can know the grace of god.

Thou shall turn a blind eye towards the suffering of millions. Particularly non-Christian refugees and all babies born to “infidels” who are snatched from their mother’s arms and thrown alive into a burning fire.

Thou shall blindly serve the interests of Corporate Amerikkka, by turning your backs on the poor, and any and all victims of inequality.

Under no circumstance whatsoever will thou show any mercy let alone compassion towards those who do not follow Christianity as per the dictates of the all-knowing Gary Bryson.

Thou shall home-school thy children and beat the sh*t out of them when necessary to ensure that they grow up in ignorance, and thus will not question Gary Bryson’s gospel.

It doesn’t matter if you torture, murder, rape, lie, cheat, steal, bear false witness, and/or coddle another man’s wife, as long as you are not a homosexual and blindly believe without question that the King James version of the bible is true, your place in heaven is assured.

As long as you believe without question tht the King James version of the bible is true… It is perfectly OK to kill animals for fun and pleasure, and then hang their heads as trophies to prove to all how “macho” and “brave” and “godly” man is.

As long as you believe that the King James version of the bible is true, it is perfectly OK to pollute and destroy our planet to serve the greedy needs of the rich and powerful.

Jesus never cared about the welfare of the sick, the suffering, the hungry, and especially not the poor.

Jesus never spoke of love, compassion, and mercy.

Jesus never spoke about loving those who a different than you.

Jesus never said: “Father, Forgive them; for they know not what they do…” as he was dying of the cross.

Gary… Not once have you expressed any compassion whatsoever for those who do not believe as you do. Not one word! Particularly about the fake Christians who turn a blind eye towards the suffering of millions. Particularly the non-Christian refugees and the babies born to “infidels” (Muslims) who are snatched from their mother’s arms and thrown alive into a burning fire, as is happening with the Myanmar genocide. If you do care and have empathy for those of a different faith who are suffering so horrendously, this would be your chance to express those feelings. Otherwise please do us all a favor and SHUT THE F*CK UP, AND TAKE YOU F*ING BIBLE AND SHOVE IT WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE!!! FOR ALL THE “GOOD” IT HAS DONE TO MANKIND…

Lets face it Bryson .. you’re not sorry for anything … you’re just plain sorry .. period ! … as in a sorry excuse for a human being never mind one pretending to be a christian

But hey little one … you and your kind just keep on keeping on with your little tirades of hate and rants of hypocrisy . Suffice it to say y’alls your own worst enemy … doing more damage to Christianity and Faith in the US than all your perceived enemies combined .

So y’all jus keeps pretending you’re preaching the truth … all while the likes of myself enjoy a large albeit bitter tasting plate of schadenfreude .

But don’t be concerned little one . We’ll be here to pick up the pieces of the destruction your kind will of left behind as you descend into a hell of your own making

How would I know ? Gee … let me think now … PhD in Reformation Theology with an emphasis in Philosophy and Biblical Apologetics . Taught at many a Bible College and Seminary … hmmm .. oh yeah … have had Evangelical and Fundamental churches for decades begging me to be ordained and serve as their pastor … studied under the likes of Francis Schaeffer , Walter Martin etc … created and written many of the apologetics used to counter , intra church hypocrisies , cults and abhorrent christian groups still used to this day .. consulted for many Evangelical and Fundamentalist missionary groups etc etc etc

Gee Bryson … how would I know indeed .

But Bryson .. trust me .. even if I didn’t have all those accolades and degrees … your abject lack of knowledge when it come to all things Bible is made obvious to one and all by your constant expressions of hate … never mind your blatant ignorance of everything single thing contained within the Good Book

No @&$hole .. she is rightly pointing out the fact that the blatant hatred , hypocrisy and heresy of todays churches as is exemplified by your each and every comment and reply is in part to blame for her daughter’s rejection of Christianity

” Can her daughter read? Can she find a Bible and read it for herself? It is more likely that her daughter just doesn’t like what the Bible says and wants no part of it, or its God ”

” Plus, God will not accept the excuse that “your followers were mean hypocrites and that’s why I didn’t want to know you”.

1) The example you set .. the words that you say …. and the damages and consequences therein places the sin firmly upon your shoulders as well as the daughters . Remembering that teachers and believers will come under the most severe condemnations should their actions and words lead but one soul astray

2) Regardless of your futile and infantile attempts to defend yourself … you are wrong . On all levels … both Biblically , Ethically , Morally .. right on down to being so much as a decent human being

Hence condemning yourself to sub human status … by your own words

One last time Bryson .. resorting for one brief moment to your infantile tactics

Ah Yes! Garry… There you are once again trying (not too subtly) to intimidate me into believing that I will go to hell once I die because I do not subscribe to the god of your bible who would condemn to HELL the majority of the people currently populating the Earth for no other reason, than because they do not believe that the King James version is “the” inspired and inerrant text; and instead follow a “God” of compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and loving-kindness. To believe in hell (eternal torture) is not compatible with compassion, mercy, forgiveness or kindness and is a concept designed to produce fear. So please spare me your FAKE empathy, because I’m not buying it!!!

And yes! You are way more responsible for many of the bad things that people do than you realize, by virtue of supporting their errant ways. As is the case with all those who voted for Drumph, knowing full well that he advocates the use of torture and the killing of Muslims and their families with bullets dipped in pigs blood and that he lusts for a war anywhere he can find one. Oh! And should Drumph drop nukes on the Koreans, their blood will also be on your hands. So please, don’t sit there and deny that you didn’t hear his violent racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, and Islamophobic rhetoric… Because I won’t be buying that one either!

Sorry…. But if you knowingly support and vote for a candidate of evil ideation, then by default you are encouraging that candidate’s evil behavior. As such, you are responsible for the actions they carry out by virtue of the power that you bestowed upon them to do so. MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT THAT!

You are just soooooooooo…. predictable Gary, that you are basically intellectually flatlining! I of course totally anticipated your retort. But to answer your question… Although I am a naturalized American and could become a citizen anytime I’d want to, I am a foreign national. As such, I do not vote in the USA.

And NO! Gary… God is not going to be putting me in hell! But you are of course welcome to delude yourself all you want. Trust me, I won’t be losing any sleep over your dire predictions of eternal damnation. Sorry, but I refuse to believe that if god does exist, it would be such an evil creature that it would condemn billions upon billions of innocent people to eternal torture! That you chose to believe in such a ludicrously cruel concept is YOUR prerogative, not mine!

And while I am agnostic, I do believe that love, not hate nor fear … conquers all. As “historic” as opposed to “biblical” Jesus taught us.

Sorry, Gary… But what you just said about Obama is a false moral equivalence. The reason for that being is that unlike Drumph, he did not run his campaign on pure and unadulterated hatred, racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, homophobia, and misogyny! Nor did he advocate for the use of torture and killing Muslims and their families with bullets dipped in pigs blood like Drumph did.